Sunday, September 09, 2018

Don't Mock God

Isaiah has stern words for us. Sobering words. If we are wise, they are words that will cause soul searching and earnest repentance routinely because we will recognize the words of love they are.

What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil,

that dark is light and light is dark,

that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter.

What sorrow for those who are wise in their own eyes and think themselves so clever. Isaiah 5.20,21

Isaiah was written to God's chosen people, Israel. He is warning them to be careful, to avoid deep sorrow.

Is it possible that His people today also need to hear these words and heed?

Is it possible that we are guilty of calling bitter sweet and sweet bitter, dark light and light dark? Even evil good and good evil?

Before my mind was renewed by the Word of God, my natural conclusion (fostered by self interest and rebellious independence and a 1970's disregard for tradition along with a feminist hatred of all things "men") was that marriage was a terrible institution - undoubtedly the brainchild of some patriarchal pig crackpot - and children were a bane to adult existence that ruin any opportunity for female accomplishment and fulfillment.

In short, I called bitter sweet and sweet bitter.

Even though I was a child of God, I was making wrong declarations. I was entrenched in error.

In studying the Bible as a young believer, I then discovered two important things regarding those issues:
1) He was the author and creator of marriage and 2) He considered children to be a great blessing and even called them His heritage.

Modern American culture has abandoned a Biblical world-view. We have embraced the idea of relative truth, a "man is inherently good" philosophy, non-creationist ideology, extreme feminism, and at this point innumerable and varied politically correct concepts which seem to change almost daily. These ideas surround us in advertising, media, pop culture, education. They are inescapable. Conversely, Biblical worldview perspectives are rare, mocked, and disparaged.

And here we are, growing up in this, imbibing an anti-Christian ideology.

Hence, we will find ourselves espousing wrong perspectives if we fail to subject every thought and notion to the Word of God. After my encounter with God's ideas regarding marriage and children (and boy was that a shake-up!) I determined that every time I found myself answering a question with "Well, that's just what I've always believed" I would see that as a red flag -- I would STOP right there and go to the Word to make sure that "what I've always believed" actually was in agreement with the God. I surely didn't want be calling good evil and evil good any longer! Not once I learned that great sorrow was the portion for such error!

Still today I find myself checking regularly. Am I correct in calling something evil, something bitter, something dark? Do I agree with Him regarding what is good, sweet, and light?

After all, if He has deemed something good, who am I to say otherwise? Something tells me I would be sorely remiss to do so.